


The True Story of That Night

by smoothmovebro



Category: Be More Chill - Iconis/Tracz
Genre: Angst, Character Death In Dream, Established Relationship, Flashbacks, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Interrogation, M/M, Prom, Recreational Drug Use, drug-induced dreams, michael in a suit
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-05
Updated: 2017-11-05
Packaged: 2019-01-29 19:56:29
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,372
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12638076
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/smoothmovebro/pseuds/smoothmovebro
Summary: It's prom night and Jeremy caps off the event with Michael. They smoke some new shit Michael recently got a hold of and get high off their asses. Jeremy passes out and has the strangest, most confronting dream.





	The True Story of That Night

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ItsYaGrill](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ItsYaGrill/gifts).



> written for nanowrimo 2017

Jeremy is a reserved kid. He doesn't search for the spotlight or yearn for its bright and glaring beam on him. So he finds comfort in the side-lines. He likes being the wallflower that stands by and watches as everything around him unfolds and takes its course. That way, he can protect himself while still being aware of what everyone else is doing. It means that he exists but he's not in everyone's minds all the time. It was a nice place to be, the sidelines.

Tonight is no exception.

It was prom night of the senior year. It's been a little over a year since the SQUIP but even that is far from his mind, what with Michael whispering in his ear about the latest stuff he got from his dealer.

Even though they've been dating for over eight months, they decided not to go as dates. They felt awkward having their pictures taken alone at their respective houses, much less as a couple. It just didn't sit right with them to have pictures of them in such a stiff occasion.

Michael loosens his tie and brings it up to tighten around his forehead. "Let's get out of here!" he says.  "Don't want anyone eavesdropping."

Jeremy nods and looks around the hall one last time. It's dimly lit and everyone is either dancing near the stage up front or milling around the tables pouring themselves drinks and chatting with other classmates. He savours the image of this milestone of an event and goes with Michael when the other boy tugs at his sleeve.

They exit the hall and they are met with the chilly air of the night. Jeremy shivers and Michael smiles, spreading his arms to welcome the cold. Michael looks back and urges Jeremy to follow him to his car in the nearby parking lot.

The two get into the car and turn up the heating once the engine's been running for long enough. Michael rummages in the back seat and procures a baggie of weed. It's a darker shade from the kind he usually smokes. He opens the baggie and prepares a joint in the backseat of his car for them to share. "This cost me almost twice as my usual shit," he says as the rolls the skin and licks it. "Dealer said it's best to share a joint with someone rather than make two separate ones." He shrugs. "Not that I care about that. I'm too lazy anyway," he finishes with a laugh. Once done, he brings the joint to his lips and brings his lighter to one end.

The joint's end glows orange and Michael inhales. He holds his breath, gives the joint to Jeremy, and exhales. The smoke curls in the car in a hypnotising pattern. Michael whoops.

"Yeah, that's definitely different," he says. He watches Jeremy take a hit and laughs when Jeremy's eyes widen. "Pretty strong, eh?"

"Y-yeah," Jeremy says. "I wonder why you have to share a joint."

Michael shrugs. They continue this pattern of taking turns with the joint and make small talk about the prom. What they thought of the venue, the things they've overheard or witnessed, and what they thought of that speech Jenna gave about the importance of their senior prom.

"I just want you all to know," Jeremy imitates, faking a tearful tone, "that I love every. single. one of you."

Michael guffaws at the accuracy of Jeremy's impression of Jenna. "That was way too good, holy shit!"

Jeremy bows but hits his head on the stick shift. Michael laughs again and Jeremy is too high to get mad at Michael's reaction to his misforunte. The laughter dies down and the two realise that the joint is nearly burnt out.

"You do realise that we'll probably die if you drive right now, right?" Jeremy says.

"Then why don't you drive?" Michael replies.

"But I'm high too, dumbass!"

"Oh, right..."

The two stare into the distance, thinking of a plan to get home.

"Maybe we can sleep it off."

"What?"

"Yeah, it's only eleven, anyway. We can snooze here for an hour, then we should be good."

A small, still-rational part of Jeremy's brain protests at this reckless suggestion, but he finds himself agreeing.

He goes to sleep with a gnawing suspicion of something bad happening if he closes his eyes.

* * *

A hand slams on the table. Jeremy awakes and looks around. He sees that he's not wearing his prom suit, rather a white jumpsuit that fell too loose around the shoulders. _What the-_

"I'm not gonna ask you again, dipshit. What! Happened!"

Jeremy looks up and finds a glaring lamp hanging over his head. He squints and shades his eyes so he can see who's talking to him. Jeremy gasps.

"Michael?"

The boy before him looks exactly like Michael, only that he's wearing a black suit white a white shirt and dark sunglasses. Jeremy remembers him wearing a grey suit at the prom.

_Is this a dream?_

"'Course it's a dream, asshat. Why'd you think I brought you here?"

_Wh-what... He can think and Michael would hear-_

"Anything can happen, alright! Telepathy, winning the lottery, climbing Mount Everest, the whole schtick!" Michael leans down and looks at Jeremy. "But _I_ have the control here. Got it?"

Jeremy nods. Michael paces around the room several times, circling Jeremy. After an uncomfortably long time, Michael comes back to the other side of the table and takes a seat across Jeremy.

“Look, kid. You seem nice. You know, coming from the suburbs and living a nice quiet life.” He gestures around him. “This surely isn’t the place for you. So help me help you.” He reaches a hand across the table and interlaces his fingers with Jeremy’s.

“Did your mom leave you and your dad? Or did she leave this world?”

Jeremy’s eyes widen and he gapes at Michael. He starts sputtering.

“Th-that’s crazy! I already told you hundreds of times! She _left_! She went away to South Carolina to stay with her family or a bit to get herself sorted!”

Michael clicks his tongue and shakes his head. He brings out his other hand so that he can hold both of Jeremy’s hands. “I was afraid it might come to this.”

“Afraid it might come to what?”

Michael bows his head and grips Jeremy’s hands. Jeremy hisses at the sudden pressure but he feels himself reeling and remembering that night.

He came home from school, toting with him a drawing he was particularly proud of. He can’t remember what, but he was so proud to have drawn it and coloured it in without going over the lines. He knew his dad wouldn’t be home until later so he went into the living room calling out to his mom.

“Ma, ma! Look what I made today!”

He dropped his bag down and looked around. The house didn’t feel right. Something was supposed to be happening but it isn’t. He’s supposed to be smelling good food cooking for dinner but he found nothing. His mom was supposed to be waiting for him with her kind smile and welcoming arms but she wasn’t.

Jeremy rushed to his parents’ bedroom to see if she was sleeping. Maybe she took a nap that was longer than she expected. Jeremy did that all the time but his parents would never get mad at him if a short afternoon nap lasted until well into dinner.

Yeah, that must be it. Just a really long nap.

Jeremy knocked on the door before opening it. As he expected, he found his mom lying in bed on her side. Her back was towards Jeremy.

Jeremy rushed up to the bed and shook her awake. “Wake up, ma! I drew a picture today!”

She wasn’t making a move to wake up or even respond to him. Jeremy shook her harder.

“Ma! Ma!”

The world felt cold around him and Jeremy felt that reeling sensation again.

_I didn’t know! I was so young! I didn’t know anything!_

 

* * *

Jeremy jolts awake in the passenger seat of Michael’s car. The car is moving and they’re on their way home.

He looks out the window and sleeps again, this time with no dreams.

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> [this photo](https://www.instagram.com/p/b69vZCzc8t/?taken-by=georgesalazar) by george is my mental image of how michael looked in the dream  
>  thank you to my friend [grill](http://archiveofourown.org/users/ItsYaGrill) who urged me to use her mrs. heere headcanon for this fic <3


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